


Ten Words Or Less

by queerSeth



Category: Shadowhunters, The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Parabatai, Pre-Series, Unrequited Love, jalec - Freeform, kinda angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-10-05 17:23:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10313297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queerSeth/pseuds/queerSeth
Summary: Jace notices that Alec has been distracted recently, and tries to confront him. Alec confesses his feelings, and Jace helps him sort them out.





	

**Author's Note:**

> AAA hello my lovely readers! I'm sorry I have been absent recently, and I'd love to use college as an excuse, but really I've just been lazy lol  
> Also, I recently started shipping Jalec, so this is my really bad first attempt at a story for them! I meant for it to be cute and adorable but... ahh you'll see!

“That’s the sixth hit I’ve landed on you!” Jace scolded, jumping out of Alec’s reach easily. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

Alec nodded, his eyes burning with motivation. “I’m fine.”

Jace’s blade connected with his with a sound that stung his ears and the raven haired boy flew backwards, landing on the hard ground with a  _ thud. _

“Yeah,” Jace said, holding out his hand. “You seem it.”

He helped the boy up, noticing as he winced and leant over to the right. His shirt was beginning to drip as blood seeped into the material.

“Shit, Alec,” Jace frowned, dropping to his knee to get a better look at the wound. “I didn’t think I hit you  _ that _ hard.”

Alec stayed silent, staring at the wall across from him as though it were his lifeline. He felt a burning sensation on his stomach, and the pain from his cut vanished.

“We’re done sparring for the day,” Jace said, grabbing his shoulders. 

“What? Why?”

If Jace weren’t so worried, he would’ve laughed. “Because you got hurt. Duh.”

Alec shook his head and pulled out of his grip. “People get hurt in fights. I feel fine.” He had picked up his blade and was holding it towards Jace in a sparring stance, obviously itching to keep going, but Jace had already begun to walk away.

“I’m not gonna fight you, Alec.” he called over his shoulder. “Not until you’re more focused.”

Alec sighed, dropping the blade back to the floor. The metallic ringing it made sounded around him in a circular echo, accompanied only by Jace’s footfalls across the room. After a moment, Alec jogged over, falling in step with his friend.

“Fine, so, what  _ are _ we going to do?”

Jace didn’t respond, but made a sharp turn down a narrow hallway, and quickened his pace. Despite being taller, Alec had to jog to keep up. The blonde boy stopped in front of a door, Alec barely stopping in time to keep from crashing into him.

“We’re going to talk.”

 

\---

 

It had been an hour of dodging questions and avoiding gazes for Alec. It felt as though Jace was interrogating him, questioning every small movement and sound he made. A sigh, it seemed, was a punishable offence. Crossing his arms was an attack.

“You can’t avoid this forever, you know,” Jace warned. “We’re parabatai.”

“I know that.”

Jace groaned. “Then tell me what’s wrong!”

“Nothing’s wrong, Jace. “

“Then why’d you let me hit you so much today?”

Alec’s brow furrowed. “ _ That’s  _ what this is about? You think something’s wrong because I was a little distracted in the spar?”

“AHA!” Jace cried, pointing at Alec accusingly. “So you admit you were distracted!”

“Yeah, a  _ little, _ ” Alec said, raising his eyebrow. “What, am I not allowed to be off my game for one day?”

“Being off your game got you cut.” Jace reminded him. “You weren’t even gonna tell me you were hurt, were you?”

Alec shifted his eyes to the wall and Jace pursed his lips. 

“What if it had been serious? You were just gonna let yourself bleed out?”

He nodded.

“What the hell, man?”

“I didn’t want you to worry.” He admitted, still staring at the wall. “It was just a scratch anyway.”

Silence. Outside, Alec could hear people walking past the door, oblivious to the drama taking place behind it. Their excited chatter was muffled by the walls, but he could tell something was happening.

“What’s going on outside?” He asked, turning to the door.

“Who cares, Alec? You still haven’t answered my question.”

The commotion outside got louder, and Alec waved Jace off, putting a finger to his lips as he pressed his ear to the door. He could hear people rushing past, but their words were incomprehensible. Behind him, Jace was being silent, but he could feel his friend’s anxious energy buzzing in the room.

“We should go check it out. They could need us for a hunt.”

Jace sighed and nodded. “Fine. But after, we  _ really  _ need to talk.”

 

\---

 

It turned out to be nothing, much to Alec’s dismay. A vampire den had been making a fuss around a bakery, and for some reason, Alec couldn’t understand, everyone had gotten riled up about it. The only good thing about it that he could find was that the excitable crowd gave him cover to sneak away from Jace and his prying questions. He slipped unnoticed into the library, shutting the door behind him with a huff of relief.

“Trying to get out of hunting for the day?” Hodge asked, his eyes visible over a large book.

“Nah, I just needed to get out of that crowd,” Alec said, sitting down. It wasn’t entirely a lie, after all.

Hodge nodded and disappeared behind his book again. “Well, if you’re avoiding someone in particular, just know that I am not bound by oath to protect  _ you  _ specifically.” He said, a hint of humour in his tone. “I’d betray you quicker than you could nock an arrow.”

Alec smirked and sank lower into the leather seat. “Don’t worry. He probably already knows I’m here.”

“So it’s Jace, is it?”

The smile on Alec’s face widened. “That obvious?”

“You two are parabatai. If you’re hiding, he’s the only one who’d know where you are.”

As if on cue, the door swung open and Jace strode in, locking his eyes on Alec, who was trying to will himself to blend into the chair so that Jace could not see him. Beside him, he heard Hodge let out a bemused chuckle, and he knew he was watching with great joy as Jace came ever closer.

“By the angel, Alec, I will string you up and  _ force  _ you to talk to me if that’s what it takes.”

Alec bit his lip and widened his eyes, trying to give his best impression of a puppy. He watched Jace’s expression soften, and knew he had won.

“Ten words.” He said. “Ten words or less to explain what’s wrong. That’s all I need, and then I’ll leave you alone about it.”

Alec almost laughed out loud.  _ I love you. That’s less than ten, right?  _ He stopped himself before he said it out loud, and shook his head instead. “Nothing’s wrong.”

Jace’s face went a comical shade of red and he had to take multiple deep breaths to steady his frustration. “Alec.” He said through his teeth. “We’re parabatai. I know when you’re lying.”

Alec’s smirk disappeared, and he caught Hodge slipping out of the room as the atmosphere dropped. Suddenly, the silence of the library felt as though it were choking Alec, and he stood up to try and shake off the feeling.

“Alec?” Jace’s voice was smaller now. He sounded helpless and scared. Not at all like his usual arrogant self. “If it was something bad, you’d tell me, right?”

“Of course.” Alec was standing right in front of him now. Jace had to look up to face him eye-to-eye, but somehow Alec still felt small in his presence. “We’re parabatai.”

Perhaps that was all Jace had wanted to hear because his shoulders dropped and he seemed to ease up slightly. “Right. We don’t keep things from each other.”

Alec swallowed and nodded. His eyes had wandered to his friend’s lips more than once during their conversation, and now that they were so close, he was struggling to remain composed. Jace, thankfully, hadn’t noticed and had placed his hand on Alec’s shoulder, gripping it for reassurance.

“I love you, Alec.” He said, dropping his voice lower. Their eyes met and Alec took a breath to steady himself.  _ He didn’t mean it like that, he didn’t mean it like that.  _ He screamed the mantra again and again in his brain, but it didn’t stop him from leaning down and pressing his lips to the surprised boy in front of him.

Instantly, he regretted it. Jace pulled away and pushed off of his chest, sending the taller boy stumbling backwards.

“Jace, I-”

“What the  _ hell _ , Alec?” He spat back, rubbing a hand over his mouth as though there was mud smeared on it.

“I’m sorry.”

Alec didn’t realise he was shaking until his knees gave out underneath him. He saw the ground rush up to meet him, but felt himself jerk to a stop before he made contact. Jace’s brow was furrowed and confused, but he didn’t look disgusted like before.

“Jace?” 

He nodded and helped him down to the ground, never breaking eye contact. When they were both comfortably sitting, he took a deep breath and exhaled.

“So that’s what’s been bothering you?”

Alec nodded. He could feel tears in his eyes, but he willed them to stay hidden.

“You know I’m not gay, right?” Alec nodded again, and this time his tears spilt freely. Jace’s expression softened, and he moved closer, wiping them away with the back of his hand.

“Hey...” He whispered. “Hey, don’t cry, okay? You don’t have to cry...”

“I’m so sorry.”

Jace nodded. “You don’t have to be.”

“Do you hate me now?”

Jace recoiled as though he’d been slapped and his face flooded with fear. “Gods, no! Of course not!” Alec nodded, trying to stop himself from crying.

“I’m so sorry, Jace.”

Jace smiled. “I know, and it’s okay. You’re okay.”

 

\---

 

They sat there, Alec crying and Jace whispering, until Hodge had the grace to return to his reading. Jace helped Alec off the floor, and the pair walked until they reached a park, just a few short blocks from the Institute. The sun was high in the sky, and there were children darting in and out of playground structures as parents watched from benches.

“How long?”

Alec looked up. “What?”

“How long have you... you know...  _ liked _ me?”

He almost laughed at the sheer absurdity of the question. “Um, just a few days before our Parabatai ritual.”

Jace’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yeah...” He blushed in spite of himself. “I told Izzy, but she said I should have become your parabatai anyway.”

“Well, I’m glad you did.”

“Me too.”

Jace knocked his shoulder into Alec’s arm and smirked. “You know this means that now I have to get you a boyfriend, right?”

“What? No.”

“Oh yes.” He winked. “I’m gonna find you a husband and you’re gonna thank me for it.”

Alec groaned and leant his head back so far that it hit the back of the bench. “You know, I’m still technically getting over _you_ , right?”

“All the better reason to find you a rebound.”

Alec shook his head in disbelief and started to retort, but he was interrupted by his cell phone’s text tone. Jace’s went off at about the same time, and they both went to check the message.

“Demon at Pandemonium.” Jace clarified. Alec nodded. “Who knows, maybe we’ll meet your true love there.” 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Okay yeah so... that's a thing  
> I'll probably edit this if I ever find the energy (Also I'm gonna try to restart Monster, so idk what's gonna happen) but I think this turned out okay :D  
> As always, thanks y'all for reading, and if you liked it, please leave a kudos or comment because I thrive off of validation haha


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